California Department of Transportation

CONSTRUCTION MOVES FORWARD ON NEXT PHASE OF STATE ROUTE 4 WIDENING PROJECT eBART BREAKS GROUND FOR ANTIOCH STATION FACILITIES

Contra Costa County - Caltrans, the Contra Costa Transportation Authority (CCTA) and Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) announced today that work has begun on the next phase of the State Route 4 (SR-4) Widening Project and BART’s new rail service to eastern Contra Costa County.

“The benefits this Proposition 1B funded project will bring to the East Bay are significant. Commuters will benefit from more transit options less traffic congestion, and the project will boost the local economy by providing jobs,” said Caltrans Director Malcolm Dougherty.

The 2006 voter-approved transportation bond, Proposition 1B, contributed $39 million of the $75 million cost for the Lone Tree Way segment. In total, five construction projects will widen SR-4, its interchanges, and local roadways from west of Loveridge Road to the State Route 160 interchange. The total cost to widen SR-4 is estimated at $541 million, including $68 million from Proposition 1B. To date, nearly $14.5 billion in Proposition 1B funds have been distributed statewide.

“Partnerships between State, federal, and local agencies continue to be the most efficient way to deliver projects on time and on budget,” said Caltrans District 4 Director Bijan Sartipi. “Caltrans will continue to work with our transportation partners to complete all planned improvements.”

Along with the SR-4 widening, BART will simultaneously construct a new parking facility for the future Antioch Station, where high-capacity, trains will transport passengers to the Pittsburg Bay Point Station.

“I am so pleased to see the many years of cooperative work on this highway and transit project coming together for this event,” said BART Director Joel Keller. “A groundbreaking in Antioch fulfils some of my dreams as mayor, and will bring satisfaction to East County residents who have been paying BART taxes for so many years. Also, BART's 25 percent local hire goal for this contract will create opportunities for the East County folks to work locally."

After the highway is widened and the parking facility is completed, BART will add a rail service to eastern Contra Costa County in the widened highway’s median. The SR-4 widening and BART project represent a combined investment of more than $1 billion to address one of the most congested corridors in the Bay Area. This new rail service will be funded from Contra Costa’s 2004 transportation sales tax Measure J, $27.7 million from Proposition 1B, and other local and regional sources.

“Starting these projects is another milestone in our efforts to bring mobility to east county. We thank Contra Costa’s voters, who passed Measure J to fund transportation improvements along the SR-4 corridor, as well as other key transportation projects in the county,” said Don Tatzin, CCTA Chair. “This local revenue source makes all the difference in our ability to complete this project on schedule and put Contra Costa residents back to work.”

The prime contractor for the highway project is Bay Cities/Myers. For current construction information, call the project hotline at (925) 756-0721 or go to the website at http://widensr4.org.